Operational Products

Real Time Ocean Forecasting System (RTOFS)

Global RTOFS
A hybrid coordinate, 1/12° global ocean model, run once a day. Each run
starts with 48 hours of hindcasting and produces forecasts every 3 hours
(surface values only) and daily
full-volume forecasts from the initial time (0Z) out
to 144 hours (6 days).

Atlantic RTOFSDiscontinued
A hybrid coordinate, nominally 1/12° North and Equatorial Atlantic basin
model, run once a day. Each run starts with 24 hours of hindcasting and
produces forecasts every hour (surface values only) and
daily full-volume forecasts from the initial time (0Z) out to
144 hours (6 days).

Fukushima Tracers
NCEP/NWS deployed three-dimensional particle tracing
within our Global RTOFS system to predict the long-term movement of radionuclides
in the ocean shortly after the Japanese nuclear disaster near Fukushima.

Fukushima Surface Plume Study
NCEP/NWS conducted a surface plume study using data from our Global
RTOFS system to predict the first 100 days of movement of radionuclides
in the ocean shortly after the Japanese nuclear disaster near Fukushima.

NOTICE: Upgrade to the Global Wave Forecasting System Multi_1
Effective on or about January 9, 2018, beginning with the 1200
Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) run, the National Centers for
Environmental Prediction (NCEP) will make a major upgrade to
the Global Wave Forecasting System (Multi_1).
Upgrade highlights:
- Adding a North Polar Stereographic Grid extending to near the
North Pole
- Extending hourly grib2 output out to 120 hours

A third generation wave model run four times a day (00Z, 06Z, 12Z, and
18Z). Each run starts with 9-, 6- and 3-hour hindcasts and produces forecasts
of every 3 hours from the initial time out to 180 hours (84 hours for the Great Lakes).

Because there are a number of different uses for sea surface temperature
analysis, a number of different analyses have been developed at NCEP. The two
families are the RTG -- Real Time Global, and the OI -- Optimal
Interpolation (aka Reynolds SST). The RTG analyses are aimed at weather
prediction and modeling, particularly at high resolution and short range.
The RTG analyses employ a 2DVAR analysis technique.
The OI analyses are lower resolution and aimed more at long range weather
and climate. Both have a history.

Marine Meteorology Group Products

Coastal Visibility:
The lowest layer Coastal Visual Range Guidance products are provided as
post-processed fields direct from the NAM (12 km resolution currently)
model. The data used for the lower 48 states are taken from a 40km Lambert
Conformal grid and applied to a 0.25° X 0.25° lon/lat grid over North
America. The data used for Alaska are taken from a 45 km polar stereographic
grid and applied to a 0.25° X 0.25° lon/lat grid over Alaska and
adjacent water bodies. These fields are in meters and have been converted to
nautical miles on the depictions shown on this web page.

Global Visibility:
This guidance is based on the GFS Model output and uses a modified version
of the Stoelinga and Warner algorithm used in the eta mesoscale model. The
GRIB output files have output in meters from 0 - 20,000 meters. The
graphical display is designed primarily for the use of mariners.

Vessel Icing:
The NCEP superstructure ice accretion forecast system was developed by
applying statistical algorithms developed by Overland and Pease at the
Pacific Marine Environmental Research Laboratory in the mid-1980s. The
algorithm relates icing to wind speed, freezing point of sea water, air
temperature, and sea surface temperature. The method is designed for
trawlers in the 20 to 75 meter length range, underway at normal speeds in
open seas and not heading downwind.

Join the MMAB Mailing List
This is a low-volume announcement list for changes to our products and services.